Improvement in gas-machines or carbureters



2 She-ets--Sheet 1.r

l E. P. WHEELER.

- Gas-Machines or Carbureters. No.\50,449. y

Patented May 5,1874.`

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' u IZSheets--Sheet E. P. WHEELER. Gas-'Machines `or Carhureters.

| Il l UNITED Sfra'ns A*.Plrrnlvr @Ormea EDWARD P. WHEELER, ',OF CORINTH, MISSISSIPPI.

IMPROVEMENT IN GAS-MACHINES 0R cARBuRETERs.

Specilicationforming part of Letters Patent No. 150,449, dated May 5, 1874; application filed April e7, 1874.

clear, and exact description thereof, which will Venable others skilled inthe art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and l to the letters of reference fmarked thereon,

which form part of this specificatiou rlfhe nature of my invention consists in the construction and .arrangement of a machine Vfor manufacturing illuminating-gas from gasi oline or other-light hydrocarbon liquids, as willbe hereinafter more' fully set forth.

In the 'accompanyingdr'awing Figure l is a plan'view, and Fig. 2 a side elevation, of my entire machine..l Fig. 3 is. avertical section through theJ gasoline-holder, air-chamber, and

air-inlet tube. Fig. 4 is aside -view of one of the gas-holders, showing the device for raising the gasometer. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of the two lgas-holders.

A and A( represent two gas-holders,'1l)ro vided with gasometers 'B B', respectively, of

`any suitable dimensions, and having the or-V dinary water-seals to prevent the escape of the gas.v The" gasometer B 'is'suspended by :meansof a cord or chain, a, which passes over pulleys b b, and has acounterbalancing-weight,

U, attached toits lower end, which also pre-I vents the cord or chain from kinking under the elongated Vweight D, and preventing the gasometer from descending.: VThe cord or chain a" at the side of the gaslholder passes through a vertical central hole in an elongated weight, D, which,`when not in use, rests upon a suitable stand, either attached to `or erectedi at the v`side of thegas-holder. vOnqthe upper endof the weight D are two slotted or'fork'ed `standard`s,cl d, in each of which is pivoted a latch,'c,"which, when the weight is elevated,.

catch'upon a conical piece, f, secured on' the cord or chain c, .and when thus suspended on' said cord or chain, the weight D willpull the gasom'eter B upward, the weight descending until an arm, h, attached to one of the latches;

c, strikes a stop, i, when said'latch is released from thecone f, allowing 'the weight DV to rest upon its stand, and the gasometer 5B will descend again in its holder. The weight D is raisedY by means of a cord, k, attached to its upper end, and passing upward over a pulley, m, and then downward to awindlass, E, or other "suitable device, by the turning of jwhich the weightmay be raised to be suspended and operate the gasometer, as above described.V The gasometer B is suspended and connected with precisely vsimilar devices, which on the drawing are marked with the same letters. Gr represents the gasoline-tank, connectedby a pipe, H, with the gasholder A, said pipe passing `from the top of the tank Gr to and through the vbottom of the gas-holder, and upward into the Asame for a 'suitable distance. The pipe H is provided with a stoplcock, n, and between said stop-cock and the gas-holder in thepipe H is the branch pipe I, leading to the burners, and provided with a stop-cock, p. J isV the inl'let in the top of the .tank G, through which the gasoline or other hydrocarbon liquid isadmitted into the tank. chamber, into the bottom of which leads an air-tube, L, said tube standing inV a vertical position, and curved at its lower end to enter The upper f the bottom of the air-chamber. end of the air-tube L is covered by wire-cloth Us, th emeshes of which should be close, enough ,to prevent the passage downward of any'fire that might accidentally or otherwise be in the lvicinity thereof. At a suitable point in the air-tube L is a stop-cock, t, and in the bottom of the air-chamber K, covering the end of the air-tube L in the same, is an upward-opening valve, l0,'as`shown in Fig. 3.

A For further security against fire, a sufficient quantity of water should be in the air-chamiber and air-tube `to cover the valve c andthe stop-cock t. v'

`From the top of the air-chamber K leads a pipe, M, toA and through the Vtop 'of the gasoline-tank G, and vertically downward into the same for a suitable distance. Surrounding the pipe M, within the tank G, is a tube, N, which may be moved up and down on the pipe, and should be provided with a suitable stuffing,- box, so that no air or gas canpass` between the two pipes. Around the lower endl ofthe pipe N is secured a perforated diaphragm, O, which is made concave on its under "side-,as

K represents an air-l A full of illuminating-gas.

shown in Fig. 3. The pipe N and diaphragm O .are moved up and down on. the pipe M `by means of a rod, w, attached to them, and passing up through a stufling-box in the top. of the gasoline-tank. The pipes vM and H are connected by means of a short pipe, P, in which is a stop-cock, w. In the pipe M, near the airchamber, is a stop-cock, fl and between said stop-cock and the connecting-pipe P a pipe, It, leads from said pipe M downward to` and through the bottom of the gas-holder A', and upward into the same for a suitable distance. In the top of the gasometer B' is an air-pipe, L', provided with a stop-cock, z, and its upper end covered with wire-cloth s'.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The desired quantity of gasoline or other suitable hydrocarbon liquid is placed in the tank G, after which the stop-cocks J, 00,10, and z are closed, and the stop-cocks t, y, and n are opened. The weight D, connected with the gasometer B, is then elevated, as above described, until it becomes suspended from the cone f on the cord or chain a. The gasometer B will then gradually ascend, creating a vacuum in the gas-holder A, which causes a suction of air through the air-tube Linto the chamber K, and from thence through the pipe M into the gasoline in the tank G. The air coming through the end vof the pipe M is momentarily retained in the gasoline by the concave perforated diaphragm O; then, passing through the gasoline and said diaphragm, it rises above the gasoline in the form of carbureted hydrogen or illuminating-gas, and is drawn through the pipe H into the gas-holder A.

By means of the movable pipe N, surrounding the pipe M within the tank G, said pipe M may be, so to say, lengthened or shortened at will, whereby the gravity of the gas is increased or diminished at will. By lowering the tube N and diaphragm 0 the gravity of the gas is increased, and by raising them it is diminished, as thereby the time that the air will remain in the gasoline and the distance it has to pass through are increased or sh0rtened.

When the gasometer B has been raised to yits full height, the weight D is automatically disengaged, as already described, and all the stop-cocks are closed, leaving the gas-holder By now opening the stop-cock p the gas will pass to the burners, and, as it is consumed, the gasometer B descends, and maintains at all times the requisite pressure on the gas. When the gas 'is all or nearly all consumed, the same operation is repeated.

The gas-holder may be made of any desired size, so as to hold gas enough for one or more days, as required.

Before the gas-holder is lled with gas, the stop cock p should be opened and thev gas tested, whether it is too heavy or too light, or of the desired gravity. If the latter, then the operation is continued till completed, as just described. 'If the gas is too heavy, more air should be added to it, and this is done by' simply closing the stopfcocks tand y, and. Opening the stop -cocks z and x, when air will be drawn in through the pipe L' to the holder A', and from thence pass through the pipes B M P H to the gas-holder A, without passing through the gasoline, and in said gas-holder A mix with the gas therein until the same is illed and the weight released, as before, when all the stop cocks are closed. If the gas, when testing, is found to be too light, or, in other words, of not sufficient gravity to give a good light, the operation of filling the gasholder A is continued until the weight is released. The stop-cock n is then allowed to remain open while all the others are closed. The gasometer B' is now gradually raised by means of its weight D, in the same manner as dcscribed for the gasometer B, thereby creating a vacuum in the holder A', causing a suction, which draws the gas from the holderAthrough the pipe H into the. tank G, through the gasoline in the same, under the perforated diaphragm O, and through the pipes M B into the holderA'. Whenthis becomes illed, the

gasometer B has descended clear down, and the weight of the gasometer B' -is automatically released. lf necessary, the gas is then passed, in like manner, once more through the gasoline back to the holder A, from whence it is distributed to the burners, as already described; but if not necessary'to pass it the second time back through the gasoline, the stop-cocks .fr and n. are opened,y allowing it to be forced direct to the burners without going through the tank. If it is not necessary to pass all the gas from the holder A through the gasoline to the holder A', to obtain the desired gravity, the operation may be stopped at any time by releasing one weight and applying the other, and opening the stop-:cock as, when the gas in the holder'A' is drawn back into the holder A.

The air may be forced and Adrawn from the gas-holder'A' to the gas-holder A, and passing through the tank G on its way, instead of drawing it through the air-tube L and chamber K.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The tank G and pipes H and M, tube N, and diaphragm O, in combination with the gasometer B, substantially as and for the pur pose specified.

2. The combination of the weight D, latches e e, cone f on the vcord or chain a, arm 71., and stop fi, al1 constructed and operating substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. The tank G, with pipes M and N, and sliding diaphragm 0, in combination with the pipe L, provided with stop-cock t and perforated to'p s, all constructed and arranged as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a gas-machine, the gas-holders A A', and gasometers B B', cords a, and pulleys b, and weights D,in combination with pipes H,

M, P,zanclL,.tank.G, and air-chamber K, with In testimony that I claim the foregoing, as the. several stop-cocks, all as and for the puimy oWnI'hereby ahX my vsignetuuje in prespose set forth. ence' of two Witnesses.

V5. The gasometer B, and cord o1' chain c, and pulleys b, in` combination With elongated EDWARD l?. WHEELER.

weight D, with cord passingI through the weight, and stop fi, latch e, conical piece f, and.V Witnesses:

weight O, substantially as and for the purpose G. H. WATSON, specified. Y Y L. TOWLE. 

